Thursday, March 29, 2007

"Expose Communal Politics for what it is..."

I think this letter in Malaysiakini today wraps up my very feelings about politics in Malaysia. Communal politics today is the cause of many of our woes but ow do we get out of this rut we've been in for the last 50 years? I have never met Umar Mukhtar, but every letter he has written makes sense...

You can’t defeat BN with communal politicsUmar MukhtarMar 29, 07 4:28pmWouldn't we like to know how the non-bumiputera voters really feel about the way they are treated? Or whether bumiputera voters really do not mind all the plundering done in their name? Will we ever find out in the Machap by-election as a precursor to the coming general elections? Manjit Bhatia chose to condemn the Malaysian lot to a hopeless political purgatory - that their true feelings will not be translated into votes because they will forever vote out of fear of civil unrest. LCH, on the hand, advised caution, but with defeatist undertones.

I beg to differ with Manjit, and I would urge LCH to change his elitist mindset. Many of us who are still in this country by choice or by default, do not have the luxury of armchair commenting our predicament, no matter how big the chip on our shoulders. We deal with the reality of our lives with hopes and efforts - until we get it right. That's how the Australians did it before Australia became the haven that it is now for Manjit.

As for Machap, chances are we will not get the answers to the questions I posed. Not because the voters are afraid, but because the voters are not presented with a coherent choice. And that, Manjit, is the fault of opposition leaders, not the man on the street. Machap is an example of where communal politics - the bane of our political existence - will be further perpetrated by the very opposition party that screams of a Malaysian Malaysia.

DAP will be rolled over by BN, but DAP does not care for as long it can appear as the champions of the Chinese. The racial divide gets more and more cemented. That is no way to build a country for our children. If DAP leaders choose to be a big fish in a small pond, they will remain so. The last time they tested the waters of a bigger pond, they scampered away because they couldn't get along with other big fish, proving exactly the very point of BN supremacy. It is not about niching in a fragmented arena. It is about working it out, no matter how impossible it seemed. We do not have the proportional representation system, and this is not likely in the near future. In our first-past-the-post system, BN thrives on the likes of DAP stalwarts. And DAP leaders keep banging their heads against the wall, whining constantly that the wall is in the way.

The challenge to overcome that wall can only be answered with a collective effort to expose communal politics for what it is, and not, like the DAP, perpetuating it. It is the life and soul of corrupt BN politics. Deprive them of it, and BN will die a natural death. So in mixed-constituency Machap, this time around, it's communal politics all over again.

The 38 percent Malay voters will not be voting DAP, for the same reasons as the Chinese not voting PAS, wishful thinking aside. A majority of the Malays will vote for BN because it is a Malay-led coalition. In such a situation, do they have a choice except abstain? The million-ringgit question that we all know the answer to is - will Chinese voters overwhelmingly support DAP? Therein lies the folly of DAP's mindless political struggle. In 2004, DAP got a total of 1,285 votes in an electorate where 4,518 Chinese votes were available. That is nothing short of pathetic, considering all of DAP's communal rhetoric. Why is that so? ....................................................................How will there ever be one if the opposition is too wrapped up in reactionary and divisive politics themselves – inadvertently giving credence to BN's communal posturing?

It is such a pity that multi-racial PKR is not contesting in Machap where in 1999 it had done better than the DAP in 2004. By PKR not contesting, the voters of Machap are deprived of an opportunity to at least peer beyond the wall and dare visualise a colour-blind Malaysia for their children. But PKR says it is too busy focusing on the Big One. In the words of the late John Lennon, "life happens when you are busy making other plans...".

15 comments:

samp
said...

Living in the northern state ever since primary school, I told myself that Malaysia is not the country I want my family to lives, just in case. Seeking better education and employment opportunities elsewhere, my siblings left our hometown one by one, so did our neighbours.

None of my sibling resides in Malaysia and I am now a PR in another country but I came back. First, seeking business opportunity and second, I come back because this is my country.

Without the contributions of non-malays there will be no Malaysia, so why must I runaway and let the Umno malays took over all the Chinese property we have earned through hard work.

The racist policies that Umno pursues, is putting this country in a brink of collapse. On the surface; it seems like nothing is worth fighting, millions of non-malays have left; perhaps million more will go; then how?

I encourage my brothers and sisters not to come back to Malaysia, now I believe strongly I have done the right thing.

Some nights, when the air is cool, when you are sitting out in the garden thinking about your loves ones, and wondering if you have given them the right suggestions about not returning to Malaysia, especially when your parents are old, very much pressurising but..........

Everyday when we read the papers, we begun to realised the stupidity of our advice, the fact is like in the film Jurassic Park:

Nature will finds its way (to survive), we don't need to give advices like these, they are afraid for us and they are learned, like my brother now oversea, says to me that "he has made the right choice not to return back", my bro-in-law intends to migrate next year, we are not on the talking terms and therefore I have nowhere to persuade him, he is a professional, he is made up his mind.

In short, exodus has already happened, no need for us to encourage this phenomenon, just let nature and the Umno malays run its course. Let us pray that we have an exit ticket.

Emigrating from a developing country to a developed country is one of the most important decision of one's life - career, family and financially.

With globalisation and the world becoming borderless, mobility of business and employment is important to ensure your security and success.

At this moment, India, with its English education, is the biggest exporter of professional human resources. Soon you will see them in all parts of the world. China is its industrial power. Imagine, with 45% of world population, you combine the two.

There are increasingly strong competition for a better life and place out there.

Who wants to stay home and serve here where meritocracy gives way to racial preference? I am a two-times graduate in University Malaya (masters and bachelors degree) and I used to hope that my children could enter a local university someday.

But with sliding university ranking and invisible barriers to keep non-malay students away, I have changed my mind. If I have the opportunity and money avails itself, I will send my children to overseas universities and ask them to emigrate there. We can rot and die here, but not the children.

This brain drain is not a problem to Umno at all. In fact, Umno is happy to see more and more of our talents leaving. Their power base will then be more secure.

All this started with Dr Mahathir. He believed that a half competent malay was better than a fully competent non-malay to serve the nation. This is clearly reflected in the progressive exclusion of non-malays from teaching profession academia, public service and other areas in the public sector as well GLCs since the early 1980s.

During Dr Mahathir's ethnic cleansing of the Malaysia public service, thousands of qualified non-malays left the country for Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, etc. Such departure was view positively by Dr Mahathir - it meant that there were more positions available for malays. That short-term thinking has had dire consequences.

During the regional economic boom of 1990s, Malaysia prospered. There was plenty of money. Incompetence and corruption did not matter - a failure could always be rectified through bailout; high costs (e.g. Proton) could always be neutralised through subsidies (for export) or higher prices (for local consumption).

The scenario today is different. Competition is stiff. Newcomers such as Vietnam are breathing down our neck. Giants (India and China) have awakened and are marching unimpeded.

Malaysia needs to exploit all its resources to meet the global challenge. Ignoring 40% of its most valuable resource (e.g. human capital - Indians, Chinese and East Malaysians) is no way to meet the challenge.

Badawi needs to put in place a policy for exploiting the most valuable resource Malaysia has - its people, including the Indians, Chinese and others. Otherwise, this resource will move away to the competitors of Malaysia.

If deployed properly, the talents will be a source of competitive advantage. If not deployed appropriately, the talents will become a source of relative competitive disadvantage for Malaysia when they end up in other countries.

Majority of the non-malays work in multinational companies. With the rate our government and GLCs pissing off these MNCs! These MNCs are moving out of Malaysia.

Get real! Why majority of the non-malays don't work inside GLCs? What do you think they would do when these MNCs are gone? Work in GLCs or emigrate outside Malaysia?

Some of my friends are always skeptical of Singapore.

Of course, Singapore intention is to protect their own interests (isn't what a government is for) - talented people are very mobile nowadays. Singapore also encounters brain drain to the West (US, EU, Australia), so they need new talents to come in.

They prefer Malaysians, as there are cultural ties - easy to adapt to the environment (multiracialism, language, weather, etc), like their Mr Everest climbers.

But they also welcome white mans, Thais, Indians, and Hong Kong Chinese too etc. Just take an MRT ride or go to the housing estates - you see many foreigners (not the illegal immigrant type).

We have our own national interests and should protect it, but we have more outflow of talent than inflow. Just see how we treat the economist who had a different method of calculating the bumi ratio of the economy - how to attract talent?

Some of my Malaysian friends have been offered citizenship and a few have accepted……….so those talents not going back to Malaysia.

Singapore is following US policy, US still attracted the best brains from all over the world regardless of color, check out the composition of employment in term of nationality in Silicon Valley and Nasa, you will know why it succeed, America is land of immigrants.

Umno policy is that if Umno cannot have it no other Malaysian should have it. Umno prefers a Mat Salleh (because that is a temporary situation) to have it rather than any other non-Umno Malaysian to have it.

I have been advising my relatives and friends for a long time since years ago - to encourage their children to apply for a Singapore scholarship to attend a university in Singapore even it that means she/he has to serve Singapore for 10 years.

At least, that will provide him for the future. So what is 10 years! He is free to utilise his talent as he pleases after that 10 years. I have 3 nephews who got Singapore scholarships, then served the Singapore government and are now working and being successful in Hong Kong and America.

They are heads of multinational companies. They will never be allowed to succeed in Malaysia because there is identification of race with jobs. All jobs even slightly, connected with the Umno government must have malay employees. That is the new NEP.

Dear Malaysians, I don't understand why the brains should not leave this country. The malays are definitely feel threaten by these brains, so we rather let them leave the country.

Malaysia pays peanuts and racially biased! That is why! Simple as that! Go to England, Australia and even the US hospitals and take a count of how many Malaysian born doctors are there, good doctors, man!

I traveled the world over and have lived in UK, Australia and the US. I have talked and met to these doctors. They not being unpatriotic, it is the Malaysia that is not doing the right thing!

I think Singapore should attack Malaysia and expand its territory to southern Johor. All the Indians and Chinese should migrate to southern Johor, and together with Singapore, forms a new Singapore.

Ex-Malaysians in exiles like myself will support this feasible plan. I am sure millions of overseas and mainland Chinese and Indians are excited about my suggestion.

When all the Muslim brothers from Uganda, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nigeria, Indonesia etc etc, become bumis, and enjoy the handout from NEP, there will be the day when the malays realize that they are being marginalize by its own Umno policy.

You can start counting the increasing numbers of Mamak in politics!

In Malaysia, we Malaysian Chinese just need to compete with fellow Malaysians only (where mostly lazy people). Easy to become rich as - we are governed by stupid and lazy people.

We can easily own several houses, luxury condos, own a bungalow at good location and own and drive luxury cars in Malaysia.

In Singapore, not so easy, we have to compete with Singapore Chinese, Hong Kong Chinese, China Chinese and Taiwan Chinese. Not easy to become rich as Singapore government too smart.

Malaysia will continue to lose its talents not only to Singapore, and other countries but the Umno malays don't give a damn. Their thinking is so long as the malays benefit, the country can go to the pigs and dogs.

They hold the entrenched view that it is better for Malaysia to be another Zimbabwe or Nepal if being in the ranks of Singapore and Japan means malays losing out to the others.

Lim Keng Yaik said recently that Singapore was a small country, so it was easily to govern. In fact, it is not so. Because of its size, it lacks most of the factors of production that we learn in economics.

Land is scarce, and its domestic market is small. However, it recognises that what it has is its labours. No wonder that it is wooing all the brains from Malaysia, since Malaysia does not appreciate them.

Instead, Malaysia seems to be attracting the top criminals as shown by the sharp increase in crime rate. Malaysia with its oil, tin, rubber, oil palm etc, will not forever be able to beat a small country like Singapore because of its incompetent leaders and their cronies who are only interested in their own pockets.

Before the NEP, UM was one of the top universities in the world. After the NEP, it has become trash because it rejects the best minds. The only pro of NEP is if you are in Umno or a friend of theirs.

All the Singaporeans I have met were very nice to me and treat me like one of theirs. We are the same people and I am always in favour of reunification with Singapore.

Exodus of Malaysian professionals simply means outflow of monetary capital as well as human capital.

The winners of this scenario are the smart countries like Singapore, Australia and the US. By making it safe, clean and having equal opportunity for all to develop their potential to the fullest, maintaining the good governance of the country, they are able to skim off the cream of our country in terms of skill people, professional and the capital.

Not every person could emigrate; the host country would pick and choose to ensure these emigrants are useful for them; unfortunately more often than not, these people are usually wealth creator or productive people who are actually badly needed by our own country.

Once these people are already out, it would be very difficult to get them back simply because we no longer could afford to get them back. These people include non-malays and malays simply for economics reason.

The economics force seeks to its own equilibrium like water flows to a lower point and man tries to go to the highest point. All the money, legal or illegal flow to this heaven perceived to be safe and the nearest one is Singapore.

Though there is ample of land in Australia, yet the property prices shoot rocket high because it is perceived as one of the few safe places in the world that one's generation could live well.

That makes the cost of migration heavy this day. The earlier one could migrate the better he would be. After all, the ringgit is shrinking day by day. In that sense, we already lose points in this competitive globalize market in securing useful productive people.

For an individual migrant, he is also a winner. Take an example of a family of three kids which emigrated to Australia in 1990. The price of the property has gone up five to six times. At the end of the day, the family has gained:

1. The children are PR automatically and enjoy equal employment opportunity with the Aussies in an income of 1:10 ratio compared to their counterparts in Malaysia.

2. Saving over a million ringgit in education fees over the three kids who are now professionals trained up by the Aussie land.

3. No doubt income tax is high, but one is guaranteed with unemployment benefit, medical and educational facility just in case.

Economics reasons dictate everything and forget about the patriotism. Just don't make people laugh!

We had sometime ago this Malaysian politician caught in the Brisbane carrying bags full of millions money trying to snatch properties there, and one prominent lady politician also was (not sure is still is) PR of Australia.

These so-called leaders are actually busy striping off country assets and busily shipping them to places like Singapore or Australia. They don't really care for the people but their own pockets, and when this is challenge by the people, the racial card is frequently produced to shut the people up.

How many times we have been threaten by the saying of the May 13, the infamous keris wielding, and the disturbance of hornet nest!

At least the emigrants and their descendents are earning honest money and contributing national building to their host countries simply because they are grateful to them. They don't waste time in arguing how to divide a shrinking cake like in Bodohland.

To those who are qualified to emigrate, the destiny is at your own hand, make your choice. It is entirely your own right to seek a better place for you and your family in this world.

Yes, if you take up a two years vocational course in New Zealand, your family could follow you to go while you could work there after finishing studies. It is not difficult to study, then work and get a PR in New Zealand.

Basically, Indian and Chinese and other ethnic groups in Malaysia are peaceful, hardworking excel, economically and academically.

The presently ruling party does not appreciate for what non-malays have done. Even Oxford graduate like Khairy said Penang businesses have been dominated by non-malays. He thought setting up businesses is free and running it also easily.

Those who could emigrate just emigrate. Nothing is wrong. Survival of the fittest meaning - if you don't like to stay on in Malaysia. Just go. Go where you like if you are mobile and a professional.

Those who are less fortunate, they have to stay back and fight economically and to survive in this. They are still many non-malay politicians in this country who would still do their work peacefully for people without showing sword or keris.

There are still kind opposition parties members who dare to risk their lives to report to the passive and inefficient Malaysia police to 'sedition'. All these opposition parties members do not want to see racial riot again to happen. So, they have done a good and brave job to upkeep peace in Malaysia.

It does not matter if you are younger or over 30 years old, sell your house, car and pool all money to go to New Zealand. This country would welcome immigrants who have skilled. Their immigration department has not mentioned about age limit. In Australia, to migrate based on skill is below 45 years old.

If you have vocational qualification, you could also work in New Zealand. If you do not have qualification, study vocational certificate would be the shortcut and good prospect due to shortage of skills there.

But those who has money like A$700000, you could put this money into Australia government bond and earn interest while you would get a provisional business visa (leading to PR) to live and work and study in Australia for whole family. So, send your money to Australia if you have that amount! Age is not a problem for this business visa.

So, send your money out and retire in Australia is a good option for your children education - universities in Australia are good ranking and fair.

It is easy to get PR in New Zealand. Once you have got a PR of New Zealand, you could always to Australia.

In New Zeland and Australia, you could work full time during holiday and during school days, you could work part time.

Yes, go to enroll a vocational course like mechanic, electrician, air-con etc. You could always work part time during study days. During long holiday, go to work full and collect money.

Even if you work part time in New Zealand, your total monthly salary would still higher than you would get in Malaysia. So, go for it!

Pool money to show you are going to study for first year. If English is a problem, study English as a start for several months there before starting vocational course.

Vocational qualification is high demanded in New Zealand and Australia.

You just need to pool (sell your property or borrow) first year money to study in New Zealand. New Zealand has a lower living cost and you just need to have a vocational certificate to work in New Zealand and lead to permanent resident. You could also bring your family members who might be able to work there too.

Yes, work overseas, so that less paying taxes to Malaysia government.

Yes, send your children to study overseas, after all local public universities are of low ranking. At least send your children to Singapore universities which are of higher ranking.

But in New Zealand, you don't need to study university to work and stay on. Just choose vocational course. Send this info to all your friends.

It is easy to work in New Zealand and Australia now. Those who have the below could apply visa to work in New Zealand and Australia quite easy.

Salary is often higher than you could get in Malaysia for any jobs. In New Zealand, minimum wage is NZ$45000 per year while in Australia is about A$39000 per year.

Be prepared to sit for IELTS. You just need to send your transcript for assessment and have IELTS to apply visa. You could sit for International English Language Test System at British Council.

For those who are without qualification, just go to New Zealand is the best option because of lower living cost and enroll for vocational course would qualify to work and to residency.

When you get New Zealand residency, you could always go to Australia to work.

Opposition could start this campaign by reusing the independent university fund. Select some poor students to study in New Zealand and Australia. Lobby those Chinese conglomerates to donate to the trust fund.

Hope those entrepreneurs would each one considers to sponsor one non-malay guy or girl to study in New Zealand or Australia. Condition must be from poor family and none of their family members have studied in New Zealand or Australia or elsewhere.

In this way after graduating, this young man or girl could work there (should be the job on demand occupation list). Then after graduating so, this young man or girl could apply for PR there and have family bridging to bring their family to go over there.

Yes, crime is on the rise in Malaysia couple with millions of illegal immigrants and previously admitted immigrants from neighbouring country (many of them carry red identity cards).

So, plan well and if you possess vocational, university or polytechnic degree, you could easily apply for work visa to work in New Zealand (no age mentioned) or Australia (provided under 45 years old).

It is worth to sacrifice ourselves to protect our loved one (family members, good friends and relatives). This mean, go to work and raise our young child or children in an unbiased country and safer country like New Zealand. At least Australia has anti discrimination law and if you excel academically, you would get the course you would like to have.

Badawi can formulate any policy. On the ground level where the heads are not qualified themselves as their staff - many problems will arise.

Further the NEP will somehow make good researchers frustrated and will certainly be the main causes of frustrations. At best we can get the second rate staff to stay - the top ones will have no problem seeking better salaries and futures elsewhere without the glass ceiling overhanging their heads.

Our national sense of belonging will be lost when day in and day out we feel the impact of marginalisation in almost every sphere of educational or economic activities.

I think we are in even more for hubs of abandoned projects because it is the brains that matters, not real estate buildings which politicians are only good at how to initiate to build for their own gains. When coming to real research and real productive work, you only have lots of unemployable graduates lining up to fill them.

Best of luck Malaysia, while Malaysians of the best calibre are in our neighbouring countries creating state of art products and discoveries.

The people with brains first go to Singapore, then Australia, then the US. Apparently roughly 2 million Malaysians have emigrated since the 1970s. Wow, what a brain drain that is……….

S/he did the right thing by moving out of Malaysia. As long as is a non-malay and Malaysian, you will be suppressed. They don't need scientists but more keris wielding morons to run the expensive labs.

So anytime the experiment didn't work out, they can go straight and blame that the equipment is outdated. Anybody disputes their claim, they can take out the keris and showed their "power". Good for them. Malaysia is turning to a baboon infested country.

Let alone those whose have already left. How about those who came back earlier with their foreign wives! The immigration department has made their renewal of visa a living hell, and they are not allowed to work no matter how qualified they may be. Eventually these "loyal Malaysians" also end up packing their bags and leave.

The politicians can say one thing but it never gets implemented at the ground level. Look at the mess surrounding Malaysia "My Second Home" campaign - how many have actually come here and then left in deep frustration!

The racists in Umno will also make certain that such policies will be doomed to fail. They would rather give citizenship to unruly and uneducated illegal Indonesians than some non-malay PhD holders.

Get your children out of this sucking country before it is too late! This is a hopeless and dirty country with all the lousy ministers and corrupted politicians.

I am afraid there is nothing second class citizens like us can do.

Emigrate to other countries looks to be a better option. Of course, the exodus has started decades ago. In fact, Umno will be most happy to see us go (race ratio, you know what I mean).

Umno does not depend on the second class citizens for the brains. They have the many universities in Bolehland to train their kind and churn out any number of experts you want. So brain drain is not a problem.

A good friend who emigrated used to tell me that he has better things to do with his life rather than to stick around in Malaysia with those 'worms' - used to argue with him, as I was sure I wanted to return to Malaysia.

Presently although I remain a Malaysian, I have better things to do with my life now that I am a faculty member in a Japanese university - have pretty much lost hope in that the worms will rot away but instead they got worse……….move on, fellow Malaysians, to new grounds where you can excel and be happy. Malaysia is sinking and there is not much one can do about it.

I have a Sikh lady friend who emigrated this month (for good) to the US to start her own business with her husband who is also a Malaysian. She is a graduate and a consultant by profession. What a loss. It just bleeds my heart.

I am soon going to give up my Malaysian passport and my Malaysian IC. Why should I even fight when my hands are tied behind my back with ISA? What is there to fight for when where is left of Malaysia being after raped and pillaged by politicians? How can my voice be heard when the phantom voters out number my vote?

If you think I am ungrateful, go ahead. If you think I am a traitor, by all means. When 20 years down the road, I can see that my kids has all the opportunity in the world to do what they love, I am satisfied. Right now, I do not see Malaysia as the place that can give me that opportunity.

Plus: being a capitalist pig and a selfish person I am, it is cheaper for me right now to change to Australian citizenship than to update my Malaysian passport.

Yes, most of my colleagues and business friends are making preparations to emigrate. With their excellent professional qualifications they will have no problem going anywhere.

Yes, the mass exodus have begun, I don't think our leaders will change. The future for non-malays here are bleak. Our forefathers came here with only the clothes on their back. Our Chinese people are hard working people. No matter where we go we will survive and excel.

So, good luck to all non-malays planning to leave. Let us give 100% equity of Malaysia to the malays. They need it, especially the Umno malays.

I had made a survey of friends - the answer is very straight cut, i.e. try to advise the younger generations to leave Malaysia - definitely the coming generation of the Chinese will suffer. Some even said it is better to go back to colonial time if allowed rather than ruling by people who are stupid than us.

Just put it very simply, our Malaysia country is not competitive enough that we no longer could afford to hire our talents in overseas back. The environment is just not conducive for further development.

For those who wish to sell short to come back, there must be a good reason. Why bother to come back if you know that you are not appreciated? Patriotism is not a good reason as it is illogical to say that one is not patriotic if one is working or living overseas.

The latest slogan I heard from Singapore is that one could venture overseas as far as he could, but the heart is always welcome to be with home, Singapore. Overseas Singaporeans did come back solely for their national day celebration. I think this is a more liberal way of thinking. The world is flat now.

Either way, one has to make his own decision to make a choice to be out or in. After all, our society has become very sick and corrupted such that white or black, wrong or right is indistinguishable. Idiotic loyalty is unwise. You just have to make your own way to seek a better future for your self and your family.

Affirmative policies which the government is adopting will do more harm than good to the proud "Bangsa Melayu". That is why after five decades of independence, their inferiority complex is still very much prevalent among them.

Further, how much progress have they made internationally? Virtually none or if there is, I dare say, is insignificant. Other races have made headlines in the international arena, including being top executives of major multinational corporations.

Some have even made it in Hollywood! If you are talking about our local guys, people like Zang Toi, a Chinese designer from Kelantan, and Dato Jimmy Choo, famous for his shoes, are worldwide brands.

If the NEP continues in its current form, the malay community may face the danger of sinking into oblivion in the sea of vast technological and economic changes which our world is constantly experiencing.

Forget this towering Malaysians bit. After 50 years there is no Malaysians but only Malays, Indians and Chinese. Forget patriotism - there is no such thing. All this talk about NEP is just a smokescreen, a mechanism for Umno leaders to enrich themselves, siblings and offsprings - at the expense of working class Malays, Indians and Chinese.

The smart ones with special talents like "eco" would emigrate with or without the discrimination. It is the "pull" factor and not the push factor that decides where peoples like "eco" will make their home.

To us ordinary folks, with dreams of making something out of our lives, I say follow your instinct and look for that Promised Land.

We should be grateful to the government of Malaysia for starting the exodus. We are what we are today, like I always say, "Not in spite of the discriminatory policy but because of it."

Some of us prefer to be birds of fine weather. That is fine too.

Steadily and slowly, the middle class Malaysians are moving overseas, be it the US, UK, Singapore or Australia. Not because we are unpatriotic but because we do not want our next generation to endure the state-sponsored racial discrimination that we had to endured for so long.

It is the adults who teach hate and discrimination to the kids who in the end become the racists that they are. My best friends in primary school and secondary school are malays and Indians.

We don't realize that non-malays have lesser opportunities to go to tertiary education. When I see that my country is actually engaging in state-sponsored racial discrimination segregation laws later in my life, I am deeply disappointed that while we are taught moral values and all the values of Malaysia in school, that it is actually not being practised in our daily life.

When you have these "push" factors in place, when non-malays have the opportunities or when they are fed up with the policy of the country, they will leave the country and will never come back to contribute to the country.

As a lot of these politicians who wield keris and the other radicals want the non-malays to get off the land, they do not realized that as much as they think they do not need us, they actually do.

I second one opinion, my parents did not have a choice back then. I have a choice now, I am choosing to develop elsewhere. Not because I am unpatriotic, but I do not want my tax money to go into incompetent BN politicians pocket or any other maggots associated with them.

Now my tax money will go to a deserving country where I feel I am not being shortchanged. You will be surprised how many young non-malay Malaysians will end up building US, UK, Singapore, Canada and Australia. We owe this to our parents and to our next generations who never had the chance.

One thing for sure is for those non-malay graduates who have graduated are they prefer to develop elsewhere, most probably US, UK, Singapore and Australia.

They need not to come back as the Umno government doesn't give a damn of the non-malay graduates background. What the prime minister is more interested is developing his own religion and race. But still the non-malays can afford to emigrate and develop elsewhere.

Is not that we choose to follow this way, but instead we are being forced to develop elsewhere. Everyday I am sick of hearing their sweet promises and excuses. Today I give you this and that. Tomorrow comes something else. In the end it was a pure rotten egg.

No wonder I got 5 out of 10 friends settling down in Australia after their graduations. Ask them about the Malaysia politics, none are interested. Ask them about the local education system, none are bothered. So I ask them why do they come back to Malaysia during holidays!

Well, the answer is to renew their passport or IC. Most come back to meet up with old friends and to celebrate new year with their beloved families. That is it. A simple well-mannered honest answer.

Nobody would say I would come back for the national day or even during Agung birthday. The sense of patriotism just isn't there.

I am saddened and confused for this ongoing bias treatment from the government. My final piece of advice for those who is studying overseas. Don't waste your time ever by coming back unless the government changes its policy. Try to develop elsewhere.

I have lost confidence with the BN controlled government from the day I left for US. I also was rewarded with financial assistant that I could not get while I was in Malaysia.

Malaysia would not be achieved Vision 2020 if preferential treatments for malays still prevail. Pak Lah and gang should start scrapping the discriminatory policy be it public or private sector.

Don't mention about coming back of the Malaysians overseas. This is like an ugly woman who keeps on telling all the men around the world, "Please marry me. You are ungrateful for not marrying me………." - Malaysia would better be a nice woman first.

Feel appreciated? These people are being polite. Many would return if only they feel they are not being robbed. The truth is the NEP is really robbery. It is basically an unfair tax system that robs the future of non-malays.

Let say you run a company. Imagine being asked to invest in a country that taxes you higher than most people. Imagine also that the more you can make, the higher the tax rate while majority of others gets tax breaks and subsidies.

Also, if you are successful, you have to give up some equity, even majority in some cases. Who would invest?

For non-malays it is the same, when they choose to work and live in Malaysia, it is an investment both personal and financial. They get the bare necessary support and often thrown obstacles along the way.

They pay most of the taxes and their savings are abused. If they are successful especially very successful, they are expected to give it up, and not to the needy and deserving, but mostly to the wasteful, undeserving and arrogant.

It is a no brainer for towering non-malays. In fact it is a no brainer for all non-malays.

My sincere advice to these towering Malaysians is, to stay where you are and don't come back! Also think of your children's future and education, which this country cannot provide.

This country only wants thieves, non-skilled labourers and criminals from Indonesia, Bosnia and Bangladesh. The only qualification is that he is a Muslim.

My brother found a job in Australia two weeks after graduation. Got his PR a few weeks later. All individuals I have spoken to compliment and agree it is the right thing to do.

Not one has the slightest disagreement with my brother decision. The sentiment among my relatives and peers are obvious. There is no pride for non-malays in Malaysia and never will.

I got a few friends in UK, Swiss, to further PhD in biotech. They won't come back to Malaysia as Malaysia can't provide them the technology that they currently using, studying. Of course they feel unfair in the Malaysia system. That is it, time to change……….

Recently I have talked to Malaysian friends about the issue of returning home. Not surprise me that they all have their Australia PR.

Please do not criticize us that we are not loyalty, we are grown up in national schools, we do not really have "well-funded education" as a Malaysian should be. The main concern for us is the secure feeling of staying in Malaysia.

Despite the public security, it is more about uncertainty we have percept since we are born. I do not expect my children future ruin in your hands.

I think all Malaysians should try hard to educate their children to be global citizens, i.e. give them an education that will enable them to survive anywhere even in India or China.

But if you are a connected crony your children will be able to prosper for the next two generations until or at least our energy reserves run out.

After that we hope they will be able to make the correct life choices. If they settle overseas it means we have less hotel bills to pay when we tour!

Malaysia may yet change for the better. The one minister got it right this time - "You can't fool all the people all the time".

Everyday I remind myself this: Study harder; make money. The grass is greener on the other side, not for myself but definitely for my children.

Migration is perfectly normal. But it is the circumstance of one decision to migrate is the issue.

Please all of you don't come back. Malaysia does not want intelligent people: they are difficult to control (i.e. LKS, Karpal Singh, etc).

I have so many friends and children of friends, who stay overseas that when I go there, I feel more at home than here! I feel free there!

I went to bed troubled at the huge loss of talents that could have helped Malaysia become another Japan. So many brilliant people are coming forward to narrate how they made good in other countries when Malaysia, the country they were born and bred in, failed to treat them fairly.

Everyone knows Japan story.

The Japanese phoenix worked because they built back their country as one people. They didn't have a Petronas rebuilding the country. They were a country starved of natural resources, but the biggest wealth and asset of post-war Japan was the people themselves. They recognised and made full use of the talents from the people for the country.

As long as the NEP and the affirmative policies are in place, more and more will emigrate and the loser is Malaysia.

The solution is simple. However, in this country everything boiled down to pampering one race which has proven again and again that it is not working after 50 years.

Our leaders are not bothered about all these messages and they will brand the emigrants as not patriot to avoid finding solution for the long benefit of the country.

To all, for time being, emigrate to other country to teach a lesson to BN the hard way.

There is a lot of emotions in the comments (although I belive that they most of them are written by one person given the time it was posted and the style of writing)

I belive that those who want to migrate have every right to do so, however there are those who feel that this is as much our country as it is the rascist few. Our forefathers left China, India for a better life and so why should we not do the same for our future genrations....to each his own.

However for those who are staying because they have no choice or simply because they love Malaysia; my advise is to rise above rascism and bigotry. Although we have been conditioned through 50 years of racial politics, we must force ourselves to look at Malaysia as a state destroyed by the elite few in power. They usurp power and money for their own poitcial gains. In short, there are as many malay and indians who are marginalised as there are chinese. Look at Kampung Berembang for example, a malay village destroyed by the police and politicians for development. We must learn again to be color blind and fight for injustice in this land IRRESPECTIVE of color or creed. We must fight for the rule of law and independence of the various branches of government as protected in our constitution! Then can we be known as a civilised nation.

That is why I like Umar Mukhtar's letter because he tries to go beyond race and communal politics and says if we as Malaysians can go beyond this, then we can render BN obsolete.

Rise above what you call communal politics? You can do that but it won't make a difference if you do but no one else does.

The nature of democracy is that your vote only counts once. The emotion of the prior comments are because the policies of discrimination are fundamentally evil and unjust. God created all men with equal dignity and rights - when a system discriminates against individuals because of ethnicity and do not give them what is due to them, it is opposing God's intent and selfishly oppressing them.

I guess that's why there is so much emotion - it's wrong. For LCH to propose that non-Malays voting for opposition will disrupt the peace is ludicrous. You should vote for the best individual for the job, right? Why vote, if you can't do that and why vote, if it just means status quo for policies that are unjust?

Let me add a more positive note - if there is a way out, it's in the emergence of a new generation of leader like Nurul Izzah Anwar.

I just saw a video of an interview with her by Malaysiakini. It's refreshing...let's hope she is one of many, rather than the minority. She's very bright, very articulate, understands the issues and knows what needs to be done.

Andre;Rise above what you call communal politics? You can do that but it won't make a difference if you do but no one else does. - I think it has to start somewhere and its encouraging to see that the younger generation are beginning to stand up to the evils of communal politics.See this document crafted recently at a high profile meeting in KLhttp://www.asli.com.my/DOCUMENTS/CONSENSUS DOCUMENT.pdf

On Nurul Izzah, she is the eldest daughter of Anwar Ibrahim, former deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia who was sent to prison for 6 years for standing up to the many injustice during the Mahathir era. I agree, there are many like her who are bright, articulate and seem to have the right notion of justice and the rule of law.